What to bring on your motorcycle tour to New Zealand and other useful information

We suggest that you lay out what you want to bring, then pack half of it and leave the rest at home!
New Zealand is a relaxed country and people rarely ‘get dressed up’. Its quite acceptable to go out for a meal in the evening in casual clothes, so you won’t need formal frocks or jackets. Most hotels have laundry facilities with washing machines, tumble driers and irons for your use. Guest houses will usually allow you to use their laundry facilities for a small charge.

For an idea of what to bring, we suggest,
Jeans
Casual trousers/skirts
Shorts
T-shirts
Casual shirts/blouses for evening
Sandals
Comfortable walking shoes

We suggest you have easy access on your motorcycle to:
A fleece or jumper, as the temperatures can vary dramatically in the mountainous areas.
Sunglasses
Sun hat/cap
Wet weather gear
Swim wear and towel
High factor sunscreen – the sun is fierce here
Insect repellent – there may be mosquitoes at night and sand flies in the Fiordland areas
There is no malaria in New Zealand! Mosquitoes are annoying, not dangerous.

Most of our guests at Paradise Motorcycle Tours prefer to bring their own riding gear for comfort. We can provide you with helmets if you really don’t want to bring them. Please tell us in advance what size you need.
We are one of the few motorcycle company in New Zealand to provide soft liner bags for the panniers (side bags) and top box (trunk). This saves you having to detach the heavy panniers and carry them into your accommodation – it also helps avoid scratches and scuffs to the panniers.

Voltage here is 220, you’ll need an adapter if you want to bring anything electrical. 99.9% of all accommodation provide hairdryers.
All the hotels and most guest houses provide toiletries – shower gel, shampoo etc.
Most hotels have wi-fi – most make a charge.
Tap water is safe to drink.
Be aware that New Zealanders retire early and get up early. Restaurants stop taking orders about 8pm unless you are in a major city.

New Zealanders are friendly folk on the whole and love to talk about our country, its history and politics. To make the most of your tour, do make the time to stop and chat.

You will notice plenty of ‘road kill’ especially in the South Island. These are possums – introduced from Australia many years ago for their fur. They are breeding out of control as they have no natural predators here. Possums may be pretty, but are trapped, hunted and poisoned and car drivers don’t swerve to avoid them!

Tipping is not mandatory, tip only if you feel the service was exceptional.

Crime is low in New Zealand. You will notice that other riders leave their jackets, helmets etc with their bikes and wander off. It would be a rare occasion for any belongings to be stolen, but please be aware that you are responsible for the motorcycle and any accessories hired. Please remove the GPS if you have one and take it with you. Please ensure the motorcycle is securely locked if you are leaving it out of sight. Having said that, the only thefts of rental bikes in New Zealand have been because the rider left the key in the ignition! Oops.

We don’t have any poisonous insects or reptiles in New Zealand. There are no snakes here. Watch out for the Kea; a mountain parrot unique to the South Island of New Zealand. They are quite large with a green/brown plumage and a hooked beak. They are very intelligent and have a liking for rubber, so if you see them, please don’t feed them and keep your bike well away!

Our National bird, the Kiwi, is nocturnal and quite rare, so if you want to see one, we advise you visit one of the many nature parks that have Kiwi enclosures.